


PART FIVE: Anyone Can Fall

by eadreytheiptscray



Series: A Rare Thing, Indeed [6]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Headspace, Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27764491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eadreytheiptscray/pseuds/eadreytheiptscray
Summary: Headspace is an endless void filled with memories, daydreams, and nightmares. Raleigh and Mako must find a way out before they lose themselves in their own minds.
Relationships: Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori
Series: A Rare Thing, Indeed [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1171514
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	1. Trust Nothing but Each Other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER SOUNDTRACK:  
> \- "Upside Down" by Chariot  
> \- "Guillotine" by Jon Bellion and Travis Mendes  
> \- "I'll Be Your Reason - We Are Fury Remix" by Illenium  
> \- "Rescue Me" by Thirty Seconds to Mars

Cherry blossom petals float through the haze, settling on the pale green grass beyond Mako’s feet. Beige flats lie in the middle of the gravel path; she must have kicked off her shoes. But when?

Frowning, she glances at her lap. Her left hand rests on her pleated skirt, and her right hand is entwined with Raleigh’s. “When did we…?”

She nudges him, and Raleigh blinks out of his stupor. He takes in the scene in confusion, too, squinting first around the empty park, then at the overcast sky, then at his cream-colored sweater.

His grip on her hand tightens. “Where are—?”

“It looks like Hong Kong. But weren’t we at the Shatterdome?”

He rubs his temple with his free hand. “Yeah… so how did we get here?”

She shrugs, standing to get a better look around the park. Besides Raleigh, there isn’t a soul in sight. Odd.

He follows, still clutching her hand, as she turns left. The gravel path ahead disappears in the haze, which seems to fill the whole park. Thick groves of trees on either side of the muted green lawn offer no way through.

A bench—maybe _the_ bench—is the only interesting feature they come across.

“What now?”

Raleigh looks as unsettled as Mako feels; unless the path veers off ahead, they’re trapped. “If we’re in Hong Kong, how come we haven’t seen anyone? Are…” He pauses. “Are we sure this isn’t a dream?”

She kicks at the pale pink petals piling up on the lawn. “Why would we be dreaming? This feels real.”

“So do dreams when you’re in them.”

Before she can respond, garbled voices fill the air. The echo makes it difficult to piece together the message.

“Hello?” Raleigh shouts back.

Silence.

“Who’s there?”

The voices return, louder this time, and more distinct: _Becket? Mori? Do you copy?_

Their last memory flashes before their eyes:

_Searing white light in the hollow mountain… Mako throwing shrieking kaiju into the pit below… feedback and Newt’s panicked apology deafening them… mottled purple and blue beings peering down as their jaeger falls…_

Mako gasps. “The payload—”

“I think it detonated. But does this mean—?”

“We’re in Headspace? Yes. So how do we—?”

Now it’s Raleigh’s turn to be interrupted. The ground shakes underneath them, and the haze shimmers as something breaks through.

A massive kaiju, so large it must be a Category V, barrels toward them. The void ripples on either side of it like water around a ship. Just like in some of their nightmares, Raleigh and Mako find themselves rooted to the spot, unable to do anything except grip each other’s hands tighter and brace for a collision.

With a furious roar, the kaiju breaks them apart, sending them into a flood of their own memories. The last thing they hear before going under is their partner calling their name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn't anticipate posting this work so soon. I hope this makes up for the cliffhanger I left y'all on in part four. Enjoy!


	2. Uncharted Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER SOUNDTRACK:  
> \- "Epilogue" from "La La Land" by Justin Hurwitz  
> \- “I Burn for You” by Sting  
> \- "Jamais Vu" by BTS  
> \- "N'oublie Pas" by Mylene Farmer and LP  
> \- "Lost in Japan" by Shawn Mendes  
> \- "The Bellevue Waltz" by Beoga

**HEADSPACE**

Raleigh is falling. No, sinking, dragged under by a current of memories.

Vivid hues and muted colors distinguish his most recent memories from long-forgotten ones. There’s his and Yancy’s first deployment, adrenaline briefly coursing through Raleigh’s veins as he passes through that hazy scene. There’s Christmas with his long-lost high school friends—the pale green glow of the Northern Lights illuminates the dimly lit cabin.

Two ruby red shoes catch his eye.

The wearer giggles as she crunches fallen leaves underfoot. On either side of her, two adults hoist her up by her arms, swinging her forward on the paved path. Little Mako’s joy is contagious, and Raleigh can’t help but grin.

His grin turns into a grimace as Mako’s memory dissolves into searing white light. As he shields his eyes with one hand, Raleigh takes in his surroundings: humming computers, a tangle of red and blue wires, and a familiar figure with cobalt-blue hair racing out of the testing room.

“Easy, now." Tendo steadies Raleigh as he attempts to sit up. “How do you feel?”

“Woah,” he manages.

“You look a little pale. Here, drink this”—Tendo presses a bottle of water in his hand—“and sit tight for a few minutes.”

Raleigh mumbles his thanks and lies back. He remembers this moment well: the nausea went away after a few minutes, but the dull headache lingered, worsening as the days went by. Drift hangover. But the physical pain hadn’t been the worst of it.

_Mako._

In the three days before he met up with her, he’d replayed her memories over and over in his mind. They’d been only fragments—smells of cooking food, snapshots of college acceptance letters, fond smiles from people Raleigh felt like he knew. That made him all the more curious about her.

What was her family like? Who were those few people Mako respected above all others? Why did she pick Pacific Rim University when she could have gone to Yale?

He would find out, eventually. But not for many years. And it took many more for Mako to fully open up to him. If only he had caught up with her after their first Drift and started building their friendship then… 

_What's stopping you?_

His eyes snap open. Could he alter a foundational memory like this?

Tentatively, he swings his feet onto the floor. The muted colors fade into grayscale—uncharted territory. But he can move.

Ignoring Tendo's protests, Raleigh races out of the room, through the deserted lounge, out into the rainy afternoon.

_Mako!_

A figure in the distance turns, and Raleigh suddenly finds himself under her scrutiny and her umbrella.

_Um..._

_Yes?_ She tilts her head to the side.

_C—coffee?_

She smiles. _It's a date_.

* * *

Memories and dreams collide. The Starbucks, a familiar setting he could recall in vivid detail, turns gray with every alteration Raleigh makes to his recollections. Occasionally, he’d catch a glimpse of the standoffish woman he’d shared coffee with all those years ago; but then Mako would grin, and her familiar color would vanish.

_Danger_ , his instincts say.

_More_ , his mind begs.

The coffee shop dissolves around them, their mugs replaced with empty plates. A single sushi roll lies between them, and Mako’s chopsticks hover over it.

Smirking, Raleigh blocks her advance with his chopsticks.

She lifts her chin in challenge.

_Challenge accepted, Miss Mori._

Their chopsticks expand with every attack and parry, and Raleigh soon finds himself grasping a hanbō. Attraction electrifies the Kwoon; their staffs collide with claps like thunder.

The dialogue continues for some time. Raleigh doesn’t want the conversation to end, but he’s more than happy to let Mako get the last word. And she does, forcing him on one knee with her staff at his throat.

There’s no ring in his pocket, but he proposes, anyway. _Marry me?_

She helps him to his feet and whispers against his lips: _Let’s save the world first._

* * *

_Kaiju codename: Knifehead. Category III._

Raleigh bolts out of bed at 2 a.m., shaking the mattress above him to wake up his copilot. For a second, he wonders why Mako is in the top bunk instead of his brother; but the thought vanishes when Mako launches out of bed, already dressed in her gray jumpsuit.

Grinning impishly, she leads him across the hall to Chuck and Yancy’s quarters; they bang on the door in unison.

_Okay, okay—we’re up!_ Chuck yells. Raleigh can hear Yancy groan over the shrieking kaiju alarm.

Knifehead goes down mid-snarl. Although getting shot twice in the chest should have been enough to kill it, Mako makes sure the beast stays down by cutting off its head. Lady Danger’s pilots savor the moment before racing to assist Striker Eureka—not that they needed to.

Both teams emerge from the Breach unscathed with two more kaiju kills to their name.

* * *

The global press tour brings them to Tokyo, where they have more free time to explore. Street food vendors, museums, and shopping districts rush by in a black-and-white blur.

Their sightseeing adventure concludes at the Skytree. Tokyo’s sprawl casts a glow on Mako’s awestruck face. She’s so busy gazing at the twinkling skyline and the velvet sea beyond that she doesn’t notice Raleigh pull out a matching velvet box.

He doesn’t need to ask; she doesn’t need to reply. Silently, he slips the gold band on her left finger, admiring the diamond’s reflection in Mako’s jasper eyes.

* * *

A light breeze kisses Raleigh’s forehead as the music swells. He turns, his jaw dropping at the sight of Mako in her regal white dress with her shoulder-length hair pulled back.

A hand clamps on his shoulder, and he turns around.

_You lucked out big time, bro,_ Yancy mutters. His grin shimmers in Raleigh’s teary eyes.

After escorting Mako to the altar, and once out of the crowd’s sight, Pentecost wipes tears from his eyes. Then, nodding to Raleigh, he squares his shoulders and joins Tam, the Hansens, the Weis, and the Kaidonovskys in the front row. Jake, meanwhile, is openly dabbing at his eyes with tissues.

Raleigh takes Mako's hands in his as the officiant begins.

_Mawwage_ , Tendo says, grinning, _is what bwings us togevver today_ … 

Raleigh side-eyes him, but he can’t hate Tendo for ripping off The Princess Bride.

Thunder rumbles in the distance, but Tendo continues unperturbed. _The rings?_

Jake hands them over, then rejoins Mako on her side of the altar.

The chapel darkens, but the wedding guests take no notice. Everyone looks at Raleigh expectantly.

He clears his throat. _Mako, I—_

Glass shatters as a fearsome dragon—no, a kaiju—tears through the chapel. Like smoke, the wedding guests vanish, and Raleigh is left alone in a gray world. Then, a flood of vivid memories rushes toward him:

_Category IV wailing as it falls into the fiery orange chasm—two more kaiju coming oh nice one Mako—why haven’t the Precursors moved what do they—SKREEEEEEE—I’m sorry I’m sorry HERMS I’M SORRY—_

“Mako!” He screams, his voice hoarse.

“Raleigh?”

Her voice is close by. Glancing around wildly, he spies a crown of jet-black hair to his left. But as he reaches for Mako, a flood of black and white engulfs her, and he finds himself shooting upward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite not liking the movie as a whole, I was heavily inspired by the last scene in "La La Land." This chapter was also written largely in one sitting, so I hope the switch from memories to daydreams made sense. Let me know what you think!
> 
> If you haven't seen The Princess Bride, you can [watch the wedding scene here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbqv3MwwVd8) on YouTube.
> 
> * * *
> 
> PREVIOUSLY IN "A RARE THING, INDEED"
> 
> This chapter's callbacks include, in order:
> 
> \- **Raleigh and Mako's first Drift ([Part One, Chapter 1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15346686/chapters/35609916))**: $50 was the start of a beautiful friendship.  
> \- **Raleigh and Mako reunite ([Part Three, Chapter 1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389808/chapters/40928936))**: Raleigh found himself under Mako's scrutiny and her umbrella in reality after following Pentecost back to the PPDC.  
> \- **Raleigh and Mako's first meetup ([Part One, Chapter 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15346686/chapters/36209823))**: We got Mako's POV when she and Raleigh met for coffee after their first Drift; now we get Raleigh's POV.  
> \- **Sparring in the Kwoon ([Part Three, Chapter 2](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389808/chapters/41320394))**: Raleigh and Mako began to trust each other again after fighting for the chance to pilot Lady Danger.  
> \- **Knifehead ([Part Two, Chapter 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16525136/chapters/39059125))**: In reality, Raleigh and Yancy had been deployed in Lady Danger with the Gage brothers in Romeo Blue; sadly, Yancy didn't make it, and Raleigh had to pilot Lady Danger solo through the Breach.  
> \- **Post-Pitfall press tour ([Part Three, Chapter 15](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389808/chapters/46204624))**: Technically, it was a press/fundraising tour; the PPDC had been disbanded and needed additional funding to be ready for the opening of another Breach at some point.  
> 


End file.
